Entertainment

Ed Sheeran Is Dating a Member of the Pop Star Elite

by Rachel Simon

According to Us Weekly, Ed Sheeran, the British singer best known for songs like "Lego House," is hooking up with Selena Gomez. The magazine reports that the two were introduced over Memorial Day Weekend by mutual friend Taylor Swift, who is currently touring North America with Sheeran.

If the rumors are true, then Sheeran will have finally made his entrance into the inner circle of Hollywood's young elite. Up until now, the singer has stayed firmly on the sidelines, letting the media focus its attention on Swift and his other more-famous colleagues. He's stayed as far out of the tabloids as he can, only appearing every so often in another "are they or aren't they?" blurb regarding his friendship with Swift.

I don't blame Sheeran for purposely making the effort to keep as much anonymity as possible. Unlike many of his fellow pop stars, Sheeran is an actual artist. He's not a Disney protégé or a teenage triple-threat; he got his start playing clubs in London, worked hard for a couple years, and made it in the U.K. long before anyone in America knew his name. It was only in 2012 that he gained prominence in Hollywood, and that was thanks to a stroke of really, really good luck: Taylor Swift heard his music, loved it, and asked him to co-write and provide vocals for a song on her upcoming album, Red. Suffice to say the album did alright, and Sheeran was propelled into fame. Yet, even then, he was known more for his music than his personal life, which I'm sure was fine by the self-described "awkward" singer. Now, however, with the news that he's dating one of Hollywood's most famous young stars, Sheeran can prepare to say goodbye to a little thing called "privacy."

Dating Gomez is an interesting choice for Sheeran, who's expressed no desire to gain entrance into young Hollywood. A relationship with Gomez will certainly change Sheeran's popularity and reputation in the media and the general public. There will undoubtedly be detailed analyses of Sheeran's relationship history, dozens of cameras in his face every time the couple leave a restaurant, and endless comparisons to Gomez's famous ex, Justin Bieber. Ed Sheeran — I hope you're ready.